- WA: Recall petition filed against Seattle mayor
Source: Fox 13 Seattle
“Two people in Seattle have submitted a petition to recall Mayor Katie Wilson, alleging she has ‘neglected her legal duty to maintain public safety and peace.’ The recall petition comes amid a slew of city controversies, the latest being the continued fallout from the deadly Bite of Seattle shooting, and the forced resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes. Melinda Jacobson and Dale Osterud filed the recall petition with the King County Elections Office on Tuesday, Aug. 11, alleging that Wilson is ‘derelict in her duties for public safety’ of the City of Seattle. … According to the King County Elections Office, recall charges must undergo a technical review by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Elections officials say this is where the recall effort is currently.” (08/12/26)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/petition-recall-seattle-mayor-katie-wilson
- Before regulating AI, define strict limits for the government
Source: Washington Post
by Derek Kan“Three approaches to regulating the artificial intelligence industry have been gaining traction in recent weeks: Sam Altman’s call for an international regulatory body, styled after the International Atomic Energy Agency; a bipartisan House proposal that would subject AI developers to audits by government-licensed verification organizations, similar to the Federal Aviation Administration’s aircraft certification model; and Google’s proposal to set up an industry-funded self-regulatory body under federal oversight. Before even considering which regulatory agencies and policies to implement for AI, however, Congress should first define the limits of government power. The lesson of past technological innovation is not that the government should have no role; it is that its role should be circumscribed at the outset so that the technology is not stifled.” (08/13/26)
- Institutions That Bind Can Also Divide
Source: EconLog
by Maurizio Bovi“Inequality is often the outcome of processes regarded as fair. Yet advantages acquired fairly in one sphere—economic, educational, or political—rarely remain confined to the domain that produced them. As these advantages spill over into other areas, they reshape opportunities and outcomes over time, gradually transforming what began as tolerable disparities into broader patterns of unequal access and influence. This process is driven not only by individual choices but also by the institutions through which social life is organized. Inequality is inherently multidimensional, relational and dynamic.” (08/13/26)
https://www.econlib.org/library/columns/y2026/boviinstitutionsinequality
- Donald Trump’s Uncle Joe Moment
Source: The Bulwark
by Mona Charen“Every day that passes brings Trump closer to the Captain Queeg of The Caine Mutiny. Queeg ran over his own tow cable, had a nervous tic that involved ball bearings, and was obsessed with his stash of strawberries, but he was at least able to command a ship, which is more than can be said of the president. There are darker parallels, too. Failing leaders often seek scapegoats. Idi Amin blamed Asian immigrants for his nation’s woes. The Ottomans blamed the Armenians for their poor showing in World War I. The focus on vandals, though, suggests no one more than Josef Stalin, who invented a whole category of crime, ‘wrecking,’ to deflect blame for his idiotic economic catastrophes. Trump is no Stalin—he’s not as smart, for one thing. But he would surely have no moral qualms about Stalin if the old monster were around today.” (08/13/26)
- Originalism’s Better Meaning
Source: Law & Liberty
by John O McGinnis & Mike Rappaport“Originalism today is predominant yet divided. Courts regularly invoke original meaning, but originalist scholars still debate what interpretation itself requires. At the center of that division is the interpretation-construction distinction. Interpretation is the process of determining the meaning of a constitutional provision. Construction begins only when that meaning is deemed indeterminate—that is, when it is thought to run out—and the decision must be made on grounds other than the provision’s original meaning.” (08/13/26)
- Why Byron Donalds Fails the Free Market Test for Florida Governor
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey“While yes, others are competing in the Democratic and Republican Party primaries, it is clear Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next governor. Sadly, he and most of his competitors represent expansion of government power rather than expanding individual freedoms for Floridians and tourists visiting our state. This leaves principled voters looking for a genuine alternative—good luck. So, unless the insider trading and other allegations bear fruit, Donalds is the frontrunner to be Florida’s next governor, though I’d prefer to see a more freedom-based Floridian in the governor’s mansion. Donalds is no free market capitalist, regardless of his rhetoric.” (08/13/26)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/why-byron-donalds-fails-the-free